Technologically Declined

My binaural microphone with pop filter

A little over a year ago, I discovered ASMR. Ever since then, I've been researching and learning more about this fascinating phenomenon. I've been wanting to try My hand at making ASMR videos/MP3s but the microphone on My video camera just isn't up to the task of making high-quality sound recordings.

I spent months researching sound equipment to find a binaural microphone with consistently good reviews that didn't come with an outrageous price tag. Professional-grade equipment can run in the thousands of dollars but, even with minions to foot the bill, that's way more juice than I need for My personal projects.

At long last, I found what looked like a reasonable balance, and the mic even came with recording and editing software. Hell, yeah! This should be awesome, right?

Wrong.

Despite the fact that I am an unapologetic Nerd Girl, I am not adept with machines of any kind. Some people are naturally inclined toward picking up new tech and running with it. Not Me. If anything, I am technologically DEclined. I failed to take into account how technical the software user manual would be. It's worse than stereo instructions. So now I have this lovely piece of hardware that I can't figure out how to use.

Fuck. My. Life.

I'm going to have to turn this over to My roommate, the computer guy, and see if he can figure it out well enough to translate for Me. *headdesk*

I Learned A Thing - ASMR (Part 2)

A couple of days ago I blogged about how I learned that ASMR is a thing. Yesterday, while I was having My usual girls' night out with My best friend, I told her what I'd learned. As luck would have it, she has ASMR triggers too. Apparently, one of her other friends is highly susceptible to ASMR and has been trying to get her to check it out for years but she never made the connection until now.

I watched a couple of ASMR videos with her to see which ones she liked best. So far, I still haven't experienced the tingling sensation she described, but I know that I like the tapping of typing on a computer keyboard (not to be confused with the sound of a typewriter), scratching of a very sharp pencil or calligraphy pen writing or drawing on paper, and paper crinkling as long as it's done slow. Speed seems to be an issue for Me on the crinkling. If it's too fast, I find it annoying.

I may not have found any sounds that give Me ASMR, but I've definitely found "anti-ASMR" triggers. Unfortunately, one of the most popular ASMR triggers is whispering and that is My anti-trigger. Whispering or very soft-spoken ASMR videos grate on my nerves and make Me want to stab something. From my research I think the phenomenon is called misophonia although I don't think it's disruptive enough to qualify as a disorder in my case.

At any rate, I've decided I'm definitely going to start experimenting with making ASMR videos for My BFF. I'll post some of them here so you can check them out.

I Learned a Thing - ASMR

Browsing around Tumblr yesterday, I stumbled across a song called "Weightless" by the band Marconi Union that is scientifically proven to be the most relaxing song ever. Apparently, this song is so relaxing that drivers have been warned not to listen to it while they're behind the wheel. If you enjoy ambient music, such as tracks by Brian Eno or Aphex Twin (two of My personal favorites), you might enjoy the song. I've included it at the end of this post.

One of the people who reblogged the Tumblr post mentioned using ASMR - Autonomous sensory meridian response - for relaxation. I had no idea what ASMR was, so I had to look it up. Apparently, there are several types of sounds, such as whispering or nails tapping, that trigger a tingling sensation in certain listeners.

I had no idea this was a thing.

I have to admit it's an interesting concept. I use the fan setting on a small space heater to create white noise so I can sleep. If I don't, I have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep all night. Now I'm wondering if I have ASMR triggers. So far, I haven't found any, although I do find the sound of paper crinkling pleasant. I just don't experience the tingling other ASMR fans report. Maybe I haven't found the right sound yet.

So now I've got a new thing to research and explore. I've been watching YouTube videos tagged with ASMR and I'm thinking about experimenting with making some of My own.

Have you heard of ASMR? Do you have any ASMR triggers or use other types of sound to relax? Comment and tell Me about your experiences.

"Weightless" - Marconi Union